The band was originally formed in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1990 by friends Merritt and (percussionist/pianist/vocalist) Claudia Gonson. While 1991's Distant Plastic Trees and 1992's The Wayward Bus (now most easily available together as a compilation, The Wayward Bus / Distant Plastic Trees) are sung by Susan Anway (b. 1951 - d. 2021), all subsequent albums are principally sung by Merritt himself.
Longtime members include: Gonson, (cellist) Sam Davol, and (banjo player/guitarist) John Woo. Contributors include (but are not limited to) the singers Susan Anway, Dudley Klute, Shirley Simms, and LD Beghtol, and the accordionist/writer Daniel Handler (famous for writing the childrens' books A Series of Unfortunate Events under the alias Lemony Snicket).
Their most popular and best-selling album to date is 69 Love Songs issued on Merge Records as a triple album filled with many fairly short songs that are reminiscent of early Beatles productions.
The album is notable for its employment of many unorthodox musical arrangements and downright impressive quantity of material presented. Instruments used on this album include the ukulele, banjo, accordion, cello, mandolin, piano, flute, xylophone guitars, various percussion instruments, and a standard setup of synths and effects. It features several guest vocalists on several different tracks. The album is a three CD set, released in the US as three separate albums (also available as a boxed set) and in the UK as a triple album.
The album i (2004, Nonesuch Records) continues Merritt's fixation on the concept album, with each of the 14 songs beginning with the letter (and often the pronoun) "I".
The album Distortion, was released through Nonesuch on the 15th January 2008 and introduced noise pop to the array of styles utilized in their music. The album's release was followed by a sold-out U.S. tour starting in February. Additional albums followed in 2010, 2012, 2017, and 2020.
Stephin Merritt is involved in several other musical projects: The 6ths (featuring different guest performers on every track), The Gothic Archies (songs dealing humorously with dark themes) and Future Bible Heroes (with music written by Chris Ewen)
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It’s Only Time
The Magnetic Fields Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A hundred years from now?
It's only time.
It's only time.
What could stop this beating heart
Once it's made a vow?
It's only time.
If rain won't change your mind,
Let it fall.
The rain won't change my heart
At all.
Lock this chain
Around my hand,
Throw away the key.
It's only time.
It's only time.
Years falling
Like grains of sand
Mean nothing to me.
It's only time.
It's only time.
If snow won't change your mind
Let it fall.
The snow won't change my heart,
Not at all.
(I'll walk your lands)
I'll walk your lands
(And swim your sea)
And swim your sea
Marry me.
Marry me.
(Then in your hands)
Then in your hands
(I will be free)
I will be free
Marry me.
Marry me.
Why would I stop loving you
A hundred years from now?
The song "It's Only Time" by The Magnetic Fields is a love song that expresses the immortality of love. The first two lines of each stanza indicate that the singer's love for the person they are addressing is not subject to time, which can be destructive of many things. The singer asks, "Why would I stop loving you/A hundred years from now?" to emphasize the point that time cannot erode the depth of their love. They believe that love is eternal and can never be destroyed, even by the passage of time.
The next stanza says "What could stop this beating heart/Once it's made a vow?" This emphasizes the idea that once a vow is made, there is no going back. The person the singer is addressing has their heart, and as long as they keep their promise, their love will always be reciprocated. The choruses repeat the phrase "It's only time" to drive home the point that time cannot change what the singer feels for their beloved.
The final stanza states that the singer will walk the lands their love walks on and swim in their sea, ending with the plea "Marry me" repeated twice. It is a request for their love to be recognized and cemented in a union that will never break. Overall, "It's Only Time" is a hopeful love song that emphasizes the importance of commitment and the perseverance of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Why would I stop loving you
What reason could possibly make me stop loving you?
A hundred years from now?
Even if a hundred years pass by...
It's only time.
Time is just a measure of duration and cannot sever our love.
It's only time.
Our love can transcend through any measure of time.
What could stop this beating heart
What force could possibly halt my love once I've made a promise to you?
Once it's made a vow?
Once I have committed to loving you forever?
If rain won't change your mind,
Even if there are obstacles and challenges that need to be overcome...
Let it fall.
I will endure them and our love will remain strong.
The rain won't change my heart
No amount of hardship can break the love that I have for you.
At all.
Not even a little bit.
Lock this chain
I want to bind myself to you forever.
Around my hand,
A symbol of my commitment to our love.
Throw away the key.
I am willing to lose myself in our love and never let go.
Years falling
The passage of time...
Like grains of sand
...is insignificant and inconsequential compared to our love.
Mean nothing to me.
Time does not affect my love for you.
If snow won't change your mind
Even if there are difficulties or disagreements...
Let it fall.
Our love endures through all seasons.
The snow won't change my heart,
My love for you will remain steadfast regardless of any setbacks.
Not at all.
Not in the slightest.
(I'll walk your lands)
(I will go anywhere with you)
I'll walk your lands
I am always by your side, wherever life may take us.
(And swim your sea)
(I am willing to face any challenge)
And swim your sea
I will face any obstacle alongside you.
Marry me.
Let us commit to each other for eternity.
Marry me.
Let us become one in our love.
(Then in your hands)
(I trust you completely)
Then in your hands
I surrender myself to you and trust you with my heart.
(I will be free)
(Through our love, I will find true freedom)
I will be free
Our love gives me the ultimate liberation and happiness.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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